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Hi All,

I have a fine stringy plant growing among my Java moss. It looks like a fine pale green string, branched along its length, with small pale green balls on its side branches. I don't know if the balls are reproductive structures (that's what I think they are) or leaves.

Can anyone ID it for me?

Thanks, Eric

Im not good with plants at all, did it sneak in with the java moss?

A bladderwort?

To me it looks like it could possibly be one that propagates by runners, when it's normally in the substrate, which was why I was wondering if it came in with the java moss.

Just looked at bladderwort on Google images, it looks like bladderwort.

Yes I think you're right. If I google bladderwort aquarium, I see photos of it.

Thanks, Eric

Yes, Utricularia. A fascinating plant! Read the Wikipedia article.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utricularia

The balls are the traps.

Seems a good kind of hiding out plant, I'm not sure if its one that overtakes the tank quickly if you let it, like I said I'm no good with plants. I end up giving up on them... But then I'm just left with snails.

that plants been around the aquarium trade for a long time. Comes and goes. Totally harmless, as far as I know.

Hi all,
Utricularia gibba. It often comes with moss, and is regarded as a weed by aquascapers.

I like it and if you put it in a shallow bowl it will flower. <http://ukaps.org/forum/threads/utricula ... ost-173096>



cheers Darrel

There's also a you tube video of the plant in action eating small aquatic creatures, I'm not 100 sure, but could this be a plant that will get rid of snails, as opposed to introducting them? But watch as apparently it can also harm very small fry.

Hi All,

Yes, after getting the name bladderwort I came to the same conclusion (at least to genus, ). I suppose the only downside to it in an aquarium is that it would consume some of microscopic organisms that would be good infusoria for juveniles. Otherwise, it seems harmless enough. Thanks everyone!

Cheers, Eric

Hi all,

bekateen wrote:Yes, after getting the name bladderwort I came to the same conclusion (at least to genus, ). I suppose the only downside to it in an aquarium is that it would consume some of microscopic organisms that would be good infusoria for juveniles. Otherwise, it seems harmless enough. Thanks everyone!

It is fry safe, and it will grow into a great tangled mat just below the surface, ideal for small surface living fry.

Have a look at <http://www.apistogramma.com/forum/threa ... post-84484>.

cheers Darrel

Thank you for clearing that up, I was obviously wrong on this one. I would have thought fry would be very difficult for it to catch or harm

I never knew that was bladderwort. Wow I had tons of that stuff(the origin is mysterious) and never realised!!! My one is darker colored, but I guess its just species difference, not different type. Well, Im glad i have it and Im glad its safe with fry and small shrimplets. I used it for neon tetra breeding 'mat' before, and was a pretty decent 'nursery plant'. But it will never beat moss!